Forfar manager Dick Campbell pretty much voiced the opinion of most folk following his side’s 41 reverse at Ochilview in a game that never looked like producing five goals.
“Stenhousemuir deserved to win,” he said, “There was nothing in it though but they deserved to be in front at half-time too.
“They played a 4-5-1 system at home and it’s not a system that I like but it worked for them today. We got it sorted out at half-time and we started the second period very well and got ourselves back in the game.
“Nobody, apart from Rangers, has scored four goals against us this season and with the best defensive record in the league I couldn’t see that coming.
“Defensively we were very poor, which is strange for us.”
The Loons’ gaffer set the record straight about his team’s ambitions this term.
“Look, at the start of the season, everybody’s objective was to get a play-off place with two full-time teams like Rangers and Dunfermline in the league, but it was never mine.
“Our objective was to stay in the league and I don’t have a problem with that because I don’t get kidded on,” he continued.
“Stenhousemuir are only four points in front of us and we have a game in hand with 33 points still to get dished out so there is still a lot of water to go under the bridge.”
Darren Smith opened the scoring for Stenny in the 13th minute but Stuart Malcolm headed the leveller 14 minutes after the break.
The Loons looked the more likely at that point, but weak defending allowed Sean Dickson to put the home team back in front two minutes later.
Smith’s second after 73 minutes gave the Station Park outfit a mountain to climb and, when Smith hit his brace and his team’s fourth two minutes from time, it proved to be insurmountable.